School Daze
by laoisbabe
Summary: Jack and Viv get more than they bargained for while investigating a missing teenager. Jack/Sam towards end. Please R & R.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - This story is a collaboration from the mind of fellow WAT fan Kimberleah with a little Laoisbabe thrown. This is Kimberleah's first fan fic so be kind. Hope you enjoy.**

**SCHOOL DAZE**

**Chapter 1**

Life was good these days for Jack Malone. It was the happiest he had been for some time. Being part of Sam and Finn's lives had a calming effect on Jack. It felt natural. It felt right. He now looked forward to each evening, spent in the company of two of the most important people in his life. It beat evenings in front of the TV, alone. Little did he know how soon his life would be turned upside-down.

He marched into the bullpen on the morning of February 4th and quickly asked for everyone's attention.

"Listen up everyone! We have a missing 15-year-old boy. His name is Thomas Pearson," Jack began, looking around as he did so. "Where's Danny and Elena?" he asked those already assembled.

"Flat tire," Viv stated.

"Okay," Jack said, throwing his eyes to heaven. "Martin, you and Samantha head to Queens to the kid's home and speak to his parents. Viv, you and I will check out his school."

Jack also phoned Danny and asked him and Elena to check the registered sex offenders in the area and work on the parents' financials, when they finally did make it to the office. Soon after making that call, Viv and Jack were in the car and on their way to the school.

As Jack drove, he and Viv chatted, mainly small talk, asking after each other's families.

"How's Reggie doing these days?" Jack enquired.

"Pretty good, thankfully. He's finally settling into school and his teachers tell me he's doing really well," Viv told him.

"That's great, Viv. He's a good kid," Jack said with a smile.

Viv tentatively asked after Jack's daughters, Hanna and Kate, who were now living in Chicago with his ex-wife. She knew how difficult it was for him not seeing them every day.

"Maria tells me they're getting on great in school. Hanna's developed a bit of an attitude, but I guess that's only to be expected at her age. Kate is much more grounded and studious," Jack said, trying not to sound as lonely as he felt.

Meanwhile, Martin and Samantha had arrived at the Pearson home in Queens. Thomas Pearson, Senior and his wife Janet sat side by side on the sofa in the living room, trying to offer support to each other.

"When was the last time you saw Thomas?" Martin asked.

"He went to his room early last night, around 8pm. He said he was tired," Mr. Pearson told him.

"Do you know if he was upset about anything?" Martin asked him.

"Not really. He never really talked about things like that with us," Mr. Pearson answered.

Martin got the impression that he was holding something back and decided to press the issue, his silence coaxing more from the father.

"We don't really talk much," he admitted with guilt. "He's quiet, studious. I guess we don't have much in common."

Martin could relate to the boy, having had a strained relationship with his own father as he was growing up.

Mrs. Pearson offered the agents some coffee. They both accepted and Samantha followed her to the kitchen and offered to give her a hand. It was also her opportunity to speak to Thomas' mother alone.

"Yesterday evening. He came back from his friend's house at around 7pm and grabbed some supper and went up to his room. He wasn't there when I went up to wake him this morning," she said, fighting back the tears.

Sam couldn't help but feel sorry for the distraught woman. But Sam needed to remain objective and not allow herself to get emotionally involved. She had a job to do.

"I'll need a list of his friends and their addresses, including the boy he visited with yesterday," Sam told her. Mrs. Pearson nodded, as she took the coffee mugs from the cabinet.

"I'm also going to need to see Thomas' room," Sam informed her.

"Of course," she said, only too happy that the FBI was pulling out all the stops to find her son.

Mrs. Pearson directed Samantha to Thomas' bedroom. When she walked in, a feeling of apprehension descended over her. The décor was very depressing and morose. The walls were plastered with dark, violent images. She found his computer and turned it on. From a brief glance at his Internet history, she could see that he was taking part in an online game involving murder and other violent acts. He had also downloaded several disturbing videos as well as regularly chatting in an x-rated chat room. Sam was starting to develop her own sense of this boy, and it wasn't the innocent teen that the parents thought they knew.

Having arrived at Thomas Pearson's school, Jack and Vivian immediately sat and talked with the principal and then the boy's teacher. They also interviewed the school counsellor, trying to find out if the boy had visited him and whether he could divulge anything that may be relevant. The story each told was pretty much the same. He was quiet, a bit of a loner, didn't like to get too involved in school life other than show up for classes. He had never been in any trouble. The principal was escorting the agents to the second floor to check Thomas' locker when Jack turned suddenly, after hearing the unmistakable pop of a gunshot.

"Stay here and call 911," Jack ordered the principal.

Vivian and Jack ran back in the direction where the shot had come from. It came from downstairs. Then they heard another and another.

"Jack, we have no weapons. What are you going to do?" Viv asked, reminding her boss that they had checked their weapons in at security, in accordance with school policy.

"I've no idea," Jack replied undeterred, his heart beating a mile a minute.

They continued towards the stairs, which they had climbed only minutes earlier. The next shot sounded much closer, definitely on their floor. They slowed as they approached the corner of the hallway. Jack held his arm out to keep Vivian back as he peeked around the corner. Immediately, Jack recognised the person with the gun. It was Thomas Pearson.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed, as he turned back towards Viv. "It's Thomas Pearson."

As they stood shielded by the corner, Pearson was trying to get into a classroom. They could hear the screams of the students inside. As Pearson tried to gain access to the classroom, he had his back to the agents. Jack saw this as his window of opportunity and knew what he had to do. Without a word to Viv, he took off sprinting across the hallway towards the teenager, with the intention of disarming the kid. After all, Jack was much larger than the gawky teen. For a second, he thought he was going to get to him without him noticing, but at the last second, Pearson heard his footsteps and swung around. He raised his gun and released a volley of shots towards the looming figure.

"Jack!" Vivian screamed, as a spray of blood erupted from Jack's back.

His momentum carried him slamming into Thomas Pearson, knocking them both to the ground and sending Pearson's weapon sliding along the hallway. Summoning strength from his inner rage, Jack swung at the youngster, thumping him in the face and immediately rendering him unconscious.

Viv stood there, transfixed, unable to move for a moment. So much had happened so quickly. Jack dropped the listless boy back onto the ground and as his last ounce of adrenalin dissipated, he collapsed, face-down on top of him.

Viv quickly regained her composure and ran to where the two lay. She could see a dark stain growing on the back of Jack's coat. She rolled him off the teenager and was amazed to see that he was still conscious. He groaned as the agony of the movement tore through him. His breathing was ragged and beads of sweat were already forming on his brow.

"I've got you, Jack. Just hang on, okay?" she said, in an effort to comfort her injured colleague. By now she was on her knees beside him.

Vivian felt sick when she realised that Jack had multiple wounds, at least three that she could see. She knew his shoulder wound was a through and through, so that shouldn't be life-threatening, she presumed. However, her heart sank when she saw the shocking wound in his abdomen. He was losing a lot of blood from it. She immediately removed her jacket, rolled it up and pressed it against the wound, drawing an agonised moan from Jack, who was by now struggling to stay conscious.

"Just stay with me, Jack," she pleaded, the emotion in her voice breaking through.

With one hand, Viv took out her cell and dialled 911.

"I'm an FBI agent calling from Jefferson High. There's been a shooting. I have an agent wounded and possibly other civilian casualties," she began to explain.

"Help is on the way, M'am," the operator informed her. "We've received numerous calls from the vicinity. Just stay calm and we'll have help to you as soon as possible."

"Okay, but hurry. He's losing a lot of blood," she said, knowing in her heart how incidents like this work. First they had to secure the building before allowing any personnel inside. That could take a while, time Jack didn't have.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Viv looked over for the first time at the unconscious teenager lying close to them. She decided that it would be prudent to secure him in case he woke up, so she left Jack's side momentarily. She rolled the boy onto his stomach and put his hands behind his back. Then she removed her handcuffs from her belt and cuffed him. She ran and picked up his weapon, which had slid further down the hall, before returning to Jack and re-applying the pressure to his wound. She looked helplessly around, praying for a miracle. Slowly and cautiously, people began to filter by them, passing the downed agent, turning away from the sight of his blood. Students and teachers alike were dazed and scared as they made their escape.

Against the flow of people, a lone police officer climbed the stairs towards them, his weapon drawn. He ordered all those he met to remain calm and to get outside. He stopped at the top of the stairs when he saw the blood-soaked agents and the unconscious teenager. Viv reached for her ID.

"FBI," she shouted as he approached. "That's the shooter," she told him, pointing to Pearson.

The officer looked down at Jack, who had since lost consciousness.

"How bad?" he asked, half knowing the answer from what he could see.

"I can't stop the bleeding," she replied, shaking her head. "Where are the paramedics?"

"They won't send them in until the area is secured," he told her.

"The area is secure! He secured it and he's paying the price. Tell them to get in here now!" Viv shouted, looking down desperately at Jack.

"They'll want to do a sweep of the area to be sure he was acting alone, you know the drill. I'll help you take him out," the officer offered.

"What about the kid?" Viv asked, reminding him of the perpetrator.

"Oh, yeah. Hey, you! Come here!" the officer yelled at a burly looking teacher who was skulking by. "Give us a hand over here."

The teacher, Mr. Jenkins, reluctantly turned around and joined the group.

"Okay, Let's get him up," he said, helping Viv and the teacher lift Jack. They each took one arm around their necks and carried him, his feet dragging behind him. The officer remained with Pearson, calling his superiors and informing them that the suspect was down and that he needed backup on the second floor. He also advised them to have paramedics on standby, that there was an FBI agent seriously wounded and on his way out to them.

As Viv and Jenkins reached the main entrance, they could see the flashing red and blue lights and hear the commotion outside. As they emerged, two paramedics ran to them, one pushing a gurney. Viv and Jenkins gratefully lay Jack on the gurney and allowed the paramedics to take over. They quickly wheeled him away from the school building back to their ambulance. As the paramedics examined Jack, Viv thanked Mr. Jenkins and then shakily sat down on the curb. She looked down at her hands, which were covered in Jack's blood. It was then that the shock of the events hit her and she hung her head and started to cry. She wondered how everything had gone so horribly wrong, so quickly.

She raised her head and watched helplessly as the paramedics worked feverishly on Jack. One of them had started an IV and was pushing fluids into him. The other was using pressure pads to try and stem the blood flow. As she looked on, a shadow descended over her as another paramedic approached her.

"Are you hurt, M'am?" he asked, noticing the blood on her hands and her clothes.

Viv never took her eyes off Jack. She shook her head,

"I'm okay," she said, eventually getting to her feet as the paramedics started to load Jack into the back of the ambulance. "I'm going to ride with him," Viv said with determination.

The paramedics didn't argue and she climbed in, quickly followed by one of the paramedics. The door was slammed shut and with several blasts of the siren, they were underway. As they sped towards the hospital, Jack's cell phone started to ring. Viv reached and took it out of his pocket. Looking at the display, she could see it was Samantha. She wasn't sure whether to answer it or not. She didn't know how to tell Samantha but she knew she had to.

"Jack?" Samantha said as soon as she answered.

"Sam, it's Viv," Viv answered.

"Oh, Viv, I just saw the news. Where's Jack" Sam asked.

"Sam, Jack's been shot," Viv said seriously.

"What? Oh my God! How bad?" Sam asked.

"It's serious, Sam. We're on our way to St. Luke's as I speak," Viv told her.

"St. Luke's. I'll meet you there," Sam said, hanging up the phone.

Martin couldn't help but notice Samantha pale as they sat in the car on the way back to the office. On hearing her conversation, he knew something was wrong.

"What is it, Sam?" he asked as soon as she hung up.

Sam sat there, shaking her head. This couldn't be happening again. She flashed back to 6 months ago. She wasn't sure if she could go through it again. She couldn't help but start to cry. Martin looked on, his anxiety growing.

"Sam, talk to me. What's happened?" he demanded.

She turned to him with tear-filled eyes and told him that Jack had been shot. She asked him to take her to St. Luke's Hospital. He turned the car and headed in that direction.

"I can't believe this is happening," she said forlornly. "I've just got him back, Martin. I can't lose him now."

"I didn't realise that you two were…." Martin started. "That would explain why you've been walking around on cloud nine lately."

Sam smiled a heartbroken smile, but tears glistened in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Sam. Jack's as tough as they come. He'll be okay," Martin said, trying to console her.

His words, however, offered little in the way of comfort. Sam knew how much Jack's previous injury had taken out of him. She had been there for the pain, the rehab, the nightmares and the counselling. He was only beginning to get over what had happened to him. How much more can he take, she wondered.

Thirty minutes later they pulled up outside the hospital. Police tried to keep the scrum of media from entering the overwhelmed ER. Martin and Sam pulled their badges as they passed the police cordon. The Emergency Room was thronged with people. It had been receiving casualties from Jefferson High for the last half hour and medical staff were scurrying around trying to look after everyone. Martin scanned the area and was relieved to see Vivian pacing along one hallway. When she turned, Sam balked at the amount of blood staining her clothing. She knew it had to be Jack's blood. Vivian stopped dead when she saw Sam and Martin. Sam looked her in the eye.

"Is he dead?" she asked outright, fearing that it was the case. Viv shook her head.

"They're still working on him," she said calmly.

"Where is he? I need to see him," Sam demanded.

"In there," Viv said, indicating a Trauma Room further down the hall.

Samantha took off towards the Trauma Room. With that, Vivian broke down, the stress of the last few hours catching up with her. Martin grabbed her and hugged her tightly. Viv thanked him and composed herself quickly.

"Go with her," Viv said to Martin. "I think she'll need you."

Martin agreed and followed Samantha. As Viv stood alone in the hallway once more, she saw a familiar figure approaching her. It was her husband, Marcus. She was never so glad to see anyone.

At the Trauma Room, a nurse stopped Samantha from entering, much to her frustration. She pleaded and shouted, calling to Jack.

"An OR has opened up, so they're getting ready to move him," the nurse told her.

As Sam stood listening to the nurse, the door of the Trauma Room suddenly burst open and a gurney surrounded by medical personnel was whisked past her towards the elevator. She hurried after it, straining to see Jack. From what she could see, he looked desperately ill as he lay there, his chest bare except for the blood-soaked bandages covering his wounds. She managed to grab a hold of his hand as she caught up with them and she squeezed through the doctors trotting alongside the gurney. She leaned towards him and spoke to him.

"Please come back to me, Jack," she pleaded. "I love you."

Martin followed the group. When they reached the elevator, a doctor told Samantha that she couldn't come any further. She still clung to Jack's hand, afraid to let go, fearing it might be the last time she got to hold him. Martin interceded and coaxed her to let go and let the doctors do their job. As soon as she released Jack's hand and the elevator doors closed, she turned towards Martin and burst out crying as it all became too much for her. Martin tried his best to comfort her and managed to get her to a seat. Sam soon composed herself, realising that she had to pull herself together. She tried to convince herself to remain positive, but it was hard. She had seen the extent of Jack's injuries and wondered how he had survived at all.

Marcus had insisted that Vivian go home with him, at least for a while. As Martin and Sam sat waiting for news, Danny and Elena arrived. They were anxious to know how Jack was. Martin told him all that he knew. Needless to say, Danny and Elena were extremely concerned. They sat for hours, watching as one gurney after another of injured students or teachers was taken by elevator to the surgical floor. Sadly, several other gurneys passed them with white sheets covering the dead, on their way to the medical examiner. Samantha only then fully realised the horror of what had happened in the school. She grew thankful that at least Jack was alive. At least he had a chance.

After a few hours, Sam looked at her watch. She realised that it was almost time for her to pick Finn up from the babysitter's. She wanted to stay and be with Jack. She knew if she called Thelma, her sitter, that she would take Finn under the circumstances. She walked to a quieter area of the waiting area and made the call. Then she returned to wait with the others.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It was almost four hours later before a doctor finally came to talk to them. He looked exhausted as he approached the agents. They all got to their feet when they saw him approaching, their faces etched in concern.

"Are you here for Jack Malone?" he asked, checking to be sure.

"Yes, how is he?" Sam answered immediately.

"As you know, Mr. Malone was shot three times, the most serious wound being the one to his abdomen. The bullet caused a lot of internal damage but we were able to remove it and stop the bleeding. With such abdominal wound and the involvement of the colon, there is a high risk of infection, but we will treat for that with high dose antibiotics. We also removed a bullet from his leg. There was no fracture, so he was lucky. A third bullet went through his shoulder. There is some muscle damage but, again, no orthopaedic involvement," the doctor explained thoroughly.

"So, he's going to be okay?" Sam asked tentatively.

"He's not out of the woods yet, but the prognosis is positive. His condition is still listed as critical. He's been moved to the ICU on the third floor if you would like to see him," the doctor informed them.

"Thank you, Doctor," she said, relieved but far from reassured.

She looked at the others and suggested that someone call Viv and let her know that Jack was out of surgery. She told them that she was going to the ICU. Martin volunteered to call Viv while the others took the elevator to the third floor. They told the ICU nurse who they were and they were shown to Jack's room. She informed them that he could only have one visitor in his room at a time.

They all looked through the glass partition into Jack's room. Sam stood there, with her hand over her mouth, hardly able to take in the sight of Jack hooked up to so many monitors and machines. Elena placed her hand on Samantha's shoulder in a gesture of support and comfort. Sam turned towards her and smiled as she tried to hold back yet more tears.

"Do you mind if I go in alone?" she asked Elena and Danny.

"Of course not. We'll be here if you need us," Elena replied kindly.

Hesitantly, Sam entered the room. It was dimly lit, the lights from the monitors illuminating the room. An almost eerie stillness hung inside and the only sound to be heard was the intermittent hissing of the respirator and the rhythmic beating of the heart monitor. Sam looked at it, finding some comfort in the apparent strength of the heartbeat. Her eyes were drawn to Jack's face. To her he looked like he was just sleeping, the blue sheet pulled up high covering his chest, his two arms lying by his side. The only obvious sign of injury was the square, white bandage that covered his shoulder wound.

She approached the bed slowly, checking if Danny and Elena were still looking in. Then she realised what she was doing and chastised herself for it. Why should she hide her feelings? Danny and Elena were work colleagues and they were involved with each other. It wasn't any different for her and Jack, well not much different. She had fallen for a guy she worked with. Unfortunately, that guy happened to be her boss. She took Jack's hand in hers, raised it and placed a kiss on the back of it. She knew Danny and Elena were standing there but didn't care.

She loved Jack. He was her man. He was hurt and she was going to be there for him, not only as a colleague, but as his partner. He had stood by her when she had fallen pregnant, even though it wasn't his. He supported her and had become very close to her baby son. He was a father figure in his life. She admired him for that. She had always known that he was a good man but was finding more and more reasons to love him lately. She broke from her thoughts when she felt a tear land on her arm and realised that she was crying again. It was so unfair. Why did this have to happen? She leaned down and whispered into Jack's ear.

"I love you, Jack Malone. Please don't leave me."

She settled in the chair beside him, her elbows leaning on the bed and watched as his chest rose and fell in rhythm with the respirator. She held his hand with one hand and occasionally stroked his hair with the other. A nurse entered the room and began to adjust the drip feeding into his arm.

"When will he wake up?" Samantha asked her, as she went about her business.

"He's under heavy sedation at the moment, so it's likely to be some time yet," the nurse informed her.

Sam nodded and thanked the nurse, who then left the room. Sam remained by Jack's side for over an hour before Danny and Elena tapped the window. She looked at her watch and realised that she should really go home to her son. She felt torn. The man she loved was lying critically injured in Intensive Care, and she desperately wanted to be there for him. However, it had been almost sixteen hours since she had held her infant son. He needed her too. Difficult as it was, she decided to leave Jack's bedside to go and pick up her son. She knew Jack would understand. He knew how important the little guy was to her. Jack had also become very attached to him, obviously relishing spending time with him, playing with him and watching TV with Finn on his lap. He volunteered to babysit whenever he could. In fact, he had practically moved in over the last few months.

Sam also loved this softer, gentle version of Jack Malone. She rarely had the opportunity to witness Jack Malone, the family man, in their previous relationship. He was more Jack Malone, the cheater or the lover, at that time. How things had changed. He was always so hard on himself for not being able to be there for his daughters, but despite what he thought, he was a good dad. She liked to think that he would be a good dad for Finn some day.

She leaned over and kissed Jack on the cheek before going out to Danny, Elena and Martin. She explained that she had to go and pick Finn up from the babysitter's apartment and take him home and asked if one of them could stay with Jack at all times. They promised they would and said they would call her if anything changed. Martin volunteered to drive Samantha home while Danny and Elena maintained the vigil at Jack's bedside.

Jack spent a comfortable night in ICU and his condition steadily improved. Early the next morning, Samantha returned. Martin was dozing in the chair next to Jack's bed. Danny and Elena had gone home in the early hours of the morning. Martin woke with a start when he heard movement in the room.

"Oh, hey," he said, standing up and stretching out his back.

"Good morning," Sam said with a smile. "How's he doing?"

"He's doing better," Martin told her, looking down on his boss, who remained sedated. "The nurse said she was told to hold the sedation and let him come to, so that has to be a good sign."

Sam moved closer to Jack and took hold of his hand. All she wanted was to feel his touch once more. Martin felt a twinge of jealously, knowing that Sam had never loved him the way she did Jack. Not the time for thoughts like that, he said to himself.

"So, I bet Finn was happy to see you," Martin said, changing the subject.

"He sure was. I hated dropping him to the sitter this morning, but I had to get back and see Jack," Sam said, never taking her eyes off Jack.

"He'll be fine," Martin said, referring to Finn. "I might go and grab a few hours sleep. Are you okay to stay for a while?"

"Absolutely," Sam replied.

Martin turned to leave before Sam called him back.

"Martin!" she said. "Thank you….for everything."

Martin nodded and left Sam sitting there, clutching Jack's hand as if his life depended on it. There she remained for hours, getting up only once to grab a coffee and a sandwich. By early afternoon, Jack started to show signs of waking. Sam talked to him continuously, trying to encourage him to open his eyes. Eventually, to her delight, those brown eyes were staring up at her.

"Hey, Jack. You're in the hospital," she said, as she leaned over him.

Jack moved slightly and tried to talk. His throat was raw from the tube, which had only recently been removed.

"Sshhh!" she said, stroking his face. "Don't try and speak. You were shot but you're going to be okay," Sam said, hoping to reassure him.

She could see the confusion and fear in his eyes even though he nodded, indicating he understood what she had said. For Jack, waking up in the hospital was all a bit surreal. He knew he was in a hospital but couldn't remember why. But regardless, he felt safe. Samantha was there. To him, she was the best medicine a man could ask for. He felt so tired and struggled to keep his eyes open. He had no idea how long he remained awake the first time but remembered waking the second time. She was still there. He was delighted that she had stayed. He tried to read the expression on her face. He definitely saw worry, which made him wonder how seriously injured he actually was.

He took a mental inventory of any messages of pain when he shifted slightly in the bed. Of course, Samantha was up like lightening, trying to stop him injuring himself further. He felt the tightness in his belly, where the stitches were being pulled. His shoulder screamed at the same movement.

"Shot twice?" he asked Sam, when his voice returned.

"Three times actually," Sam corrected him.

"Really? Shoulder, stomach and where else?" Jack asked curiously.

"Thigh," Sam replied. "But that's a relatively minor one."

"Man, I guess I don't do things by halves," Jack joked.

Sam tried to laugh along but the fact that he could have died was never far from her thoughts. Jack could see something was on her mind. She was trying to hide something from him but he knew her far too well by now.

"What is it?" he asked gently.

"What? Oh, nothing, I'm fine," Sam replied.

"Something's on your mind. Tell me," Jack insisted.

Sam bit her lip, unsure whether to say what was on her mind. She looked at Jack, the man she knew she loved. Was it the right time? Is there ever a right time?

"Jack, we almost lost you. I almost lost you," she said, correcting herself. "Things have been really good between us lately. You've shown me another side of you and I like it. I really like it. What I'm trying to say is, I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you," Sam admitted.

A wide smile lit up Jack's ashen features.

"Come 'ere," he said, pulling her closer to him. "I'm not going anywhere."

Sam placed a tentative kiss on his lips. She felt his reaction and placed a second, more passionate kiss there. As they both withdrew from the kiss, Jack looked into her moistening eyes.

"We have all the time in the world," he said lovingly.

**THE END**

**A/N - Good on you, Kimberleah! Your first fic is now published!**


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